The UK student accommodation sector faces a perfect storm of interconnected challenges that are reshaping investment dynamics. We look at the trends forming this storm to explain some of the puzzling contradictions in the sector, and make predictions for the next five years and beyond.

SFG and the University of Poppleton: A Partnership in Progress SFG is proud to be working with the esteemed University of Poppleton on a series of initiatives aimed at enhancing the student experience through strategic accommodation planning. This collaboration, though in its nascent stages, has already yielded a wealth of insightful – and occasionally unexpected – outcomes. To offer a glimpse into the dynamic nature of our partnership, we present a trilogy of videos documenting the initial phases of this ambitious undertaking. With a candid and lighthearted approach, these vignettes capture the challenges and triumphs inherent in navigating the complexities of university accommodation strategy. From the inaugural meeting, characterised by its, shall we say, spirited exchanges, to the brainstorming sessions that pushed the boundaries of conventional thinking, these videos provide a humorous yet informative window into the collaborative process. Join us as we embark on this journey of discovery, innovation, and occasional bewilderment. These videos are a testament to the dedication, creativity, and good humour of all involved, and a promise of great things to come from the SFG and University of Poppleton partnership. https://sfg.ltd/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Comedy-Shorts-All-the-Options-V4.mp4https://sfg.ltd/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Comedy-Shorts-The-Argument-V4.1.mp4https://sfg.ltd/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Comedy-Shorts-Were-Unique-V4.mp4

LD Events Conference – 9th May – A Retrospective View Article Creating a ResLife Programme for Key View Article Three rules of work, two DBFOs, and a footbridge View Article Reflections on the LD Events Student Housing Conference 2022 View Article How has COVID shaped the students of 21/22 – Creating a post-COVID Programme View Article Reflections on 2021 for the UK PBSA Sector and Student First Group View Article Should I Stay or Should I Go? View Article Between a Rock and a Heard Place – Operating in the time of Corona View Article Virtual Adaptation during COVID-19: Who has done what well? View Article Building Virtual Res Life Communities: Digital Natives do not Exist View Article COVID-19, PBSA and sending students ‘home’. View Article Transitioning to University in the UK – How PBSA Providers can play their part View Article

The 2022/23 academic year saw a surge in the need for Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) in the UK, in the aftermath of the pandemic years. We took a snapshot of the availability of PBSA across the country on 2 October 2023 to ask: one year later, how easy or difficult is it for students to find accommodation at this point in the cycle? SFG partners with Student Crowd who collates data with 100% coverage of UK PBSA.

Interview with Richard Gabelich- Founder & CEO Student First Group Thursday Jun 20, 2019 On our latest episode Nick explores a specialised area of student housing gaining in popularity in the sector and that is Design, Build, Finance and Operate or DBFO partnership schemes as they are more commonly known. Under DBFO schemes a student housing partner typically takes a long lease of university-owned land, designs a scheme in conjunction with the university, raises finance, builds it, operates it and takes the risk of finding occupants. In return, the university receives a capital receipt, the expertise of a dedicated partner and continued influence over creating a high-quality student experience. We welcome on the episode Richard Gabelich of the Student First Group to explore this complex deal area. Student First provide innovative student accommodation advisory, investment, development and asset management solutions to developers, investors, universities and operators. Visit Podcast Lorem Ipsum is simply dumy text of the printing typesetting industry lorem ipsum.

Interview with Rebecca O’Hare- Head of Partnerships & Resident Experience at SFG Thursday Oct 10, 2019 On this latest episode we look at Reslife, which is very timely with a new intake of student residents arriving across the country for this year’s academic intake.  We welcome on Rebecca O’Hare to share her expertise in the sector. With over a decade of experience in the student accommodation market, Rebecca has recently embarked on a new venture with Student First Group as their Head of Partnerships and Resident Experience.  Visit Podcast Lorem Ipsum is simply dumy text of the printing typesetting industry lorem ipsum.

How do you view the partnerships between universities and accommodation providers?

This is our latest report on an ever-growing investment sector involving partnerships between universities, developers, investors and operators to create new or refurbished student housing. In the first research publication of this kind since 2018, we examine Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) structures, as well as income strips. We ask: how has this sector grown? Who is active in the market? What is the pipeline of projects? What are the current challenges? And – what might the future hold?

Student First Group (SFG) and CBRE jointly ran a seminar in late 2022, bringing together developers, operators and universities to ask this question. London is still experiencing a bottleneck in Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA): supply is falling behind demand from students across the UK and across the world who are drawn to London as one of the top international destinations for Higher Education. SFG has been building a profile of university requirements, actively matching supply with demand, and introducing universities to potential developments with a good fit. In this report, we summarise the points that we made in the seminar and distil the ideas brought to the table by the attendees, all of whom had first-hand experience of grappling with the issues.